High energy gaseous plasma containment device



Jan. 13, 1959 v. JOSEPHSON ET AL 2,868,991

HIGH ENERGY GASEOUS PLASMA CONTAINMENT DEVICE Filed Oct. 8, -l957 INVENTOR.

Jay E Hamme/ l ema/ Josephson HIGH ENERGY GASEGUS ELASMA CONTAINMENT DEVICE Vernal Josephson, Palos Vertles Estates, Calif., and E. Hammel, Los Alamos, N. Men. as n to United States of America as repres This invention relates to an apparatus for producing neutrons as a result of collisions between ions in high temperature plasmas. If an ionized gas such as deu terium, at very high temperatures, is confined long enough to assure nuclear collisions, a D-D reaction will be obtained with a consequent release of considerable useful energy.

It is the primary purpose of the present invention to provide a device wherein a gaseous plasma can be contained indefinitely at sufiicient density to give rise to the nuclear reaction.

It is known that if a gaseous plasma enters a region of crossed electric and magnetic fields, the electrons and ions are trapped and forced to form cycloids of motion which process around in the trapping region.

It is the primary purpose of this invention to provide apparatus wherein gaseous plasma is confined indefinitely and heated by such crossed magnetic and electric fields.

The manner in which this objective is obtained, and other objectives and advantages flowing from this invention, will become apparent as this description proceeds with reference to the drawing made a part of this specification.

The drawing is a diagrammatic cross section of a device in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, a toroidal container designated generally by the numeral 9 has situated along its length and transverse to its cross section a plurality of doughnut shaped magnetic coils 12 and high potential annular electrodes 14. One each of the coils and electrodes lie in the same radial plane which is transverse to the toroid cross section. The toroid is not shown in its entirety but it is understood that the arcuate portion shown is extended in like manner to form a complete torus. The magnetic coils 12 are all similar in magnetic properties and are all energized in a like sense from sources marked I. That is, the magnetic pole of one coil will present a north pole facing the south pole of the next adjacent coil. The lines of force H are therefore continuous around the torus and converge under each coil and diverge in the space between coils.

Inside the inner periphery of each of the magnetic coils is positioned annular shaped electrodes shown at 14 and 15. Adjacent electrodes are energized with opposite potentials from sources V so that the electric field E extends from each electrode to the adjacent electrode. It is seen that the magnetic lines of force across the electric lines of force substantially at right angles in two regions between each adjacent pair of coils and electrodes.

A purging unit 16 is connected to the torus to remove Patented Jan. 13, 1959 air and any other contaminating substances. Deuterium source unit 18 is connected to the torus to admit between from 10 to microns pressure of pure deuterium.

Plasma will be generated in the torus 9 under the influence of the electric fields and will be trapped in any one of the crossed field regions such as at P. The cycloidal agitation of the ions within the plasma in a trapping" region results in the collision between deuterium nuclei with resultant DD reaction and the release of energy. In the event some of the ions or electrons escape a cross field confinement region, they will simply travel along the magnetic lines of force until they are again trapped in the next adjacent crossed field region.

Suggested design parameters for a practical embodiment are as follows:

Cross-sectional radius of the torus cm 5 Radius of curvature of inner wall of the torus cm 30 Magnetic field density gauss 20,000 Number of coils and electrodes 15 Applied potential between adjacent electrodes kv 100 Gas pressure microns 10-100 Having described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is desirable that it be understood that such description is for purposes of explanation and not to be regarded as limiting the invention. It is likely that other embodiments and modifications may be made pursuant to the application of the teachings of this invention and it is desired that all such embodiments and modifications be considered to fall within the spirit of this invention. Accordingly, it is understood that this invention will be considered limited only by the appended claims taken in view of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for producing neutrons comprising a hollow torus, a plurality of flat hollow electromagnets surrounding said torus' and being circumferentially spaced one from another, an annular electrode in said torus supported in the plane of each electromagnet, means for energizing said electromagnets in like polarity sense to create continuous magnetic lines of force in said torus, means for impressing potentials of opposite polarity on each adjacent pair of electrodes, and means for produc ing a pure deuterium atmosphere at'a pressure of between 10 and 100 microns in said torus.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said magnets and electrodes are situated at about every 24 degrees along the torus.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the magnetic field density is of the order of 20,000 gauss and the potential between electrodes is of the order of 100 kilovolts.

OTHER REFERENCES Kurchatov, Discovery, vol. 17, No. 6, June 1956, pp. 227-233.

Burkhardt et al.:

Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 28, No. 5, Pp- 519-521.

Comstock Sept. 24, 1918' 

